take care

this year i am really trying to take good care of myself. last year was really crazy and chaotic. i was so overwhelmed with school and work and life that i didn't take very good care of myself or my body. now that my life is much calmer, i'm trying to make up for that and do things that make me feel really good. these are the goals i'm working towards this year.

plan meals.

during school i would never plan my meals ahead of time. lots of times i forgot to eat or i would find myself eating the most random foods at the most random times. looking back, my eating habits were a lot worse than i even realized. now my schedule is much more routine and i have a lot more free time, so i'm trying to be very intentional about what i eat and when. planning my meals ahead of time makes me really excited to grocery shop and cook. it's still not easy, but it's become something i really enjoy doing every week. it's also less wasteful. before planning my meals i would buy produce and an embarrassing amount of it would go bad in the fridge.

eat healthier.

i'm not a fan of dieting, and even the thought of cutting out whole food groups makes me very sad, so i'm finding a version of eating healthy that works for me. basically i am trying to cook with lots of fresh and nutrient-rich ingredients, mostly vegetables. and drink a lot of water. i am also halfheartedly trying to eat fewer sweets, but i live in new york, home of levain bakery and doughnut plant, so "trying" is a loose term.

exercise more.

exercising at all would basically accomplish this goal, as i pretty much never worked out during my last semester. i really miss going to the gym, and i want to get back into a regular exercise routine. new york has so many fun fitness classes and i want to try a variety of them.

read more.

both last year and the year before i set a goal to read thirty books, and i am sad to say that i never hit that number. during the semester i would start reading book after book but just didn't have the time to finish very many. now that i'm not a student i am so happy to have time to read for pleasure. i've been reading at home and on the subway and it is definitely a highlight of life. this year i hope to finally exceed my thirty book goal.

put away electronics.

i'm attempting to check social media a little less and i'm especially trying to put away my phone and laptop a while before i go to bed at night. i've always struggled with insomnia, but i'm sure it's compounded by my using electronics before bed. i think putting away my phone and laptop will rest my eyes and help me unwind and relax. i also waste a lot of time on the internet when i could be reading or otherwise productive, so i'm going to try to spend that time on worthier activities.

essentially i want to be very intentional about how i treat my body and how i spend my time. i'm genuinely excited about all of these goals and i think they'll contribute to my feeling happier, healthier, and more fulfilled.